Braga, Portugal

Braga is a city of about 65,000 people in northern Portugal, 50km (31 miles) N of Porto, 367km (228 miles) N of Lisbon. Known to the Romans as Bracara Augusta, Braga has also been occupied by the Suevi, the Visigoths, and the Moors. Braga is an important religious center. For centuries it has been the seat of an archbishop and a pilgrimage site; the Visigoths are said to have renounced their Arian heresy here. Today, Braga is home to the country's most impressive observances of Semana Santa (Holy Week), with torchlit processions of hooded devotees.